Expression attachment.



No. 897,288. PATENTED SEPT. 1, 1908. f 0. E. HINTZ. EXPRESSION ATTACHMENT.

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OTTOYF. I-IINTZ, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE FARRAND COMPANY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

EXPRESSION ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1, 1908.

Application filed September 14, 1907. Serial No. 392,908.

To all whom it may concern: l Be it known that I, OTTO F. IIi'NTZ, a citizen of the United States of America, residingl at Detroit, in the county of I/I'Tayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Expression Attachments, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to that class of keyboard musical instruments which are both manuallyT operable and also may be operated automatically, and has morel particular reference to combined automatic and manually operable pianos.

In the common construction of upright piano actions, it is customary to provide an adjustable rest bar controlled by the soft pedal of the instrument, and which limits the throw of the hammers. This rest bar usually extends the entire width of the action, and may be operated through the pedal to produce various softening effects in the music. On the other hand, for automatically operating pianos, it is desirable to provide expression devices which control dii'l'erent portions of the action, as for instance one device for the treble portion, and another for the bass, thereby enabling the player to accentuate the air or solo part of the music and rendering it more prominent than the accompaniment.

It is the object of the present invention to provide moans for producing softening effects in the music, both when the piano is manually operated and also when played automatically, and to this end the invention consistsin the construction of a plurality of rest bars for separately controlling the same hammers of the action, as more fully hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, Figure I is a vertical cross section through an instrument to which my improvement is applied; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the action; Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating the opera-tion; Fig. 4 is a detailed sectional view substantially on line :c-r, Fig. l, and Fig. 5 is a cross section through the forward portion of the key-bed. I

1 is the action supporting frame of an upright piano, of any suitable construction, and 2 are the hammers supported on said frame, which are operated by the usual construction of mechanism, not shown.

3 is a rest bar, which extends the entire width of the action, and is connected to rock arms 4 operated by the usual mechanism, not shown, from the soft pedal of the instrument, the arrangement being such that by a movement of the pedal the bar 3 may be variously adjusted in position to limit the stroke of the hammers. Adjacent to. the rest bar 3, and preferably just beneath the same, is arranged a pair of auxiliary rest bars complementary to each other, and each extending over a portion of the width ofthe action, as for instance one for the treble and the other for the bass. These auxiliary rest bars 5 and 6 are respectively mounted upon rock arms 7 secured. to said rock shafts 8 and 9. The rock shafts are separately o erated by actuating connections, each of w iich, as shown, consists of a rock arm 10 connected by the vertical rod 1l with a rock arm 12 upon the rock shaft I3, having an actuating rock arm 14 connected by a link 15 to horizontally-extending levers 16. The two levers 16 are arranged parallel to each other near the center of the keyboard of theinstrument and are actuated by push buttons 17 at the front of the keyboard. Thus by operating one of the push buttons 17 a rocking movement is imparted to the correspondn ing rest bar 5 or 6.

As the rest bars 5 and 6 are preferably arranged beneath the main rest bar 3 they would, if continuous, interfere with the supporting brackets 1S of the frame, which are usually arranged beneath the main rest bar. This interference I have avoided by forming each of said auxiliary rest bars in1 sections, 5lL 5b and a 6b, said sections being arranged with sufficient space between them to provide clearance for the brackets 18. The shafts 8 and 9 are continuous for both sections of their respective rest bars, and are mounted in bearings 19, preferably clipped to the brackets 1S. As shown, the clips for these bearings are formed by forming a return bend, embracing the bracket and clamped thereto by the bolt 20.

It has been found in the manufacture of pianos that there is a certain individuality to the various actions which are apparently mechanically just the same, and that to produce a desired musical effect a slightly different adjustment of the rest bar is necessary. Thus, by clamping the bearings 19 to the brackets 18, the rock shafts 8 and 9 may be adjusted in position until the proper musical effect is produced.

In operation, Whenever' the piano is played manually, the expression is produced by the use of the soft pedal operating to shift the rest bar 3. IVhen, however, the instrument is to be played automatically, it is necessary for the player to use his feet in pumping the bellows for supplying wind to operate the pneumatic actions, and for that reason the soft pedal cannot be conveniently used. The auxiliary rest bars 5 and 6 are therefore used to give the proper expression, and these may be separately controlled by the push buttons 17.

That I claim as my invention is:

l. In a piano action, the combination with a main rest bar for limiting` the movement of the hammers, of a frame having brackets for supporting said rest bar, an auxiliary rest bar parallel to said main rest bar and. brackets for said. auxiliary rest bar adjustably secured to said frame.

2. In a piano action, the combination with a main rest bar for limiting the movement of the hammers, of a frame having brackets for supporting said rest bar, and an auxiliary rest bar parallel to said main rest bar beneath the same, and separately operable to controllthe same hammers, said auxiliary rest bar being formed in sections spaced. from each other to provide clearance for the brackets of said frame.

3. In a piano action, the combination with a main. rest bar extending the entire width of the action, of a pair of complementary auxiliary rest bars arranged parallel to said main rest bar and beneath the same, rock shafts upon which said auxiliary rest bars are respectively mounted adjustable in position upon said frame and. separate lever systems for actuating said rock shafts operable from the keyboard of the instrument.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

OTTO I 1 IIINTZ.

Ti tnesses NELLm K'iNsnLLA,

JAMEs I). BARRY. 

